An eolian energy company formed out of MIT has tested its high-altitude wind turbine that floats above in windy skies like a blimp. Altaeros Energies Airborne Wind Turbine measures 10m in width, and is filled up with helium. It was sent 100m up in the sky, where stronger winds are prevalent. This prototype was also able to lift the Southwest Skystream turbine up into the sky, where it was able to produce twice the power.

Lasers beams have been used for the first time to trigger and divert lightning bolts. It was first postulated in the 1990s that lasers could be used to create a low-resistance pathway through the atmosphere, allowing lightning bolts to use the path of least resistance.

The famous Dutch impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh was obsessed with sunflowers, until he died in 1890. His iconic paintings of sunflowers fetch millions of dollars at auction. Scientists have been trying to solve the genetic origin of the mutant teddy bear sunflowers that are depicted in van Gogh’s canvases.

Last week, after having had the same phone for the last few years, I went to a local mobile carrier and purchased a brand new iPhone 4S. This is my first smartphone and here are the ways that it has changed my life.

These funny pixelated movie posters were created by Colorado graphic designer Eric Palmer. While some may call them them 8-bit art, they kind of look like they wouldn’t be out of place on an a 16-bit system like the Sega Genesis or SNES. That being said, most of these movies weren’t even around when either 8 or 16-bit consoles were all of the rage.